6. Deputy Grace Boland asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality if staffing levels for speech and language therapists, occupational therapists and psychologists in the children’s disability network teams, CDNTs, in Balbriggan and Swords have increased in the past two years; the current number of vacancies; the additional posts or resources being allocated in response to population growth and rising demand in the north Fingal area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [47691/26]

Sentiment score: 0.25

As the Minister of State knows, the Fingal area is one of the youngest areas in the country and Balbriggan is the youngest large town. However, our CDNTs are creaking. Will she give an update on whether the vacancies that have been persistent for the past couple of years have been addressed and where we are in terms of staffing levels for the CDNTs in both Balbriggan and Swords?

Sentiment score: 0.00

I very much welcome the investment in disability services, funding for additional posts and the allocation for behavioural supports and speech and language therapy. However, when I look at the raw figures, I see that every single post for Balbriggan is underfunded. We are supposed to have six occupational therapists but there are only five; instead of five speech and language therapists, we only have 3.6; there are two physiotherapists rather than four; and we have two psychologists instead of four. It is a similar picture for Swords, with only one psychologist in place instead of four. As the Minister of State knows, early intervention is absolutely key to addressing the issues we are discussing and to supporting children and their families. While posts have been allocated, we do not have people in post. As I repeatedly highlight, it is absolutely essential that Fingal be prioritised for posts at CDNT level.

Sentiment score: 0.21

I welcome the reductions. I really do not profess to know the science behind this but there is movement of children from CDNT lists to primary care and there is movement of children on CDNT lists from Balbriggan to Swords. I am not really sure why all of that happens, but I want to make sure that the children and families who need the therapies are getting them. While numbers look like they are reducing, I am not sure that the children have actually got the therapies they have sought. The other thing I would like to raise is the fact of the allocations generally. I know the Minister of State said that some new posts had been allocated, but given the demographics and the rapidly growing area that Fingal is, will the Minister of State tell me how often the allocations will be updated and reviewed and are they sufficient for the demographics of the area?

Sentiment score: 0.24